Brick Floors: Could This Durable Material Work for Your House?

You love the old-world look, but will you like the feel of it underfoot? Learn the pros and cons of interior brick flooring

Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating media and immediately discovered a new passion. An Atlanta native, I spent several years as an editor for Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine before making the leap to national publications and websites such as Houzz, Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Accents. I live in Birmingham, Alabama, with my husband and son, who’ve gotten used to coming home and finding the furniture rearranged. When I'm not dragging case goods across the floor, I enjoy good food and wine, college football, music of all kinds, and traveling.

Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating... More

There's something very cozy about brick floors — they imbue a home with a storied, old-world feel and emit a sense of comfort and nostalgia. Bricks combine the durability of tile or stone with the warm colors of wood, and they can work with almost any home style. Yet for all those positive attributes, they remain a relative background player on the grand stage of floor coverings.

If you're considering brick floors for your home, keep these considerations in mind.

• Design flexibility. As with tile, brick's modular nature lends itself to an infinite variety of patterns. Running bond (staggered), basket weave, herringbone and others are classics, but you can create a custom motif or a mosaic-style treatment. Brick also lends itself well to paint or epoxy, if you'd like a dramatically different color than the usual earth tones.

• Sturdiness. Remember the Three Little Pigs? There are good reasons brick has been a construction stalwart for centuries: It's tough to destroy, it doesn't rot. and it won't require painting or refinishing. Brick withstands extreme conditions and weathers heavy foot traffic with ease, and it's also heatproof. Individual bricks may crack or chip over time, but they are relatively easy to pry out and replace.

• Affordability. Because brick used for interior applications is generally in paver or tile form, it's thinner and less costly than exterior brick. On average you'll pay less than $10 per square foot, uninstalled. Unless you're an extremely skilled DIYer, you'll need to factor in professional installation costs (usually around $500 to $700 for an average-size room), as brick can be difficult to lay correctly. • Sustainability. Clay brick is made mostly of natural materials, such as shale, kaolin and minerals. In addition, bricks from old or demolished structures can be salvaged for new applications — particularly nice if you're aiming for a vintage effect.

• Slip resistance. Left unfinished, brick has a slightly rough, textured surface that provides traction underfoot. However, if you seal it with a slick or waxy coating, you'll have to take other steps to prevent falls. • Aesthetic appeal. One of the reasons people love brick is its inherent traditional warmth, which few other materials can replicate. It evokes a sense of the past and feels like a strong, reassuring holdover from bygone days. Natural variations in its coloring give it a beautifully nuanced palette.

Save Photo

Cons of Brick Flooring

• Hardness. Durability comes with a price: Brick is unyielding beneath the feet. If you're using it in a kitchen or another space where you spend long periods of time standing, consider adding a cushioned mat or a thick rug to ease the strain on your legs and back.• Unevenness. Even the best-laid brick floors aren't 100 percent level, so you may need to compensate by sliding shims under furniture or pads beneath precarious breakables.

• Weight. As you'd imagine, bricks are heavy, even in paver form. As a result, they're often impractical for a home's second or third story; it's very hard to reinforce the floor enough to support all that weight.

• Moisture damage. While bricks on a vertical surface resist water well, bricks on a horizontal surface are a different story. Moisture can collect and penetrate the mortar, and if the bricks are porous, it can seep beneath their surface as well. You'll want to apply a sealant periodically to guard against mildew, mold and cracking.

Tell us: Have you used brick flooring in your home? What tips can you share?

I have always been drawn to brick, especially as flooring since it gives a space unparalleled character.

However, as the article states, there are a few cons to consider. I suggest to anyone interested in this look but worried about the drawbacks to go to Inglenook Tile for their clay imitation brick pavers. They can be made with any colors, textures, size etc. and is the only imitation I find to look authentic.

I have a brick floor in the kitchen of my early 19th c. house. One con not mentioned is that dirt gets into crevices and it is very hard to clean. Any suggestions on how to clean and the best sealant to use?

The reclaimed brick floor in my home is made from antique sidewalk pavers. I love it. In answer to cslwood's question, I have found a very easy way to clean it. I use a solution of bleach and water and spread it over the floor section by section, Then I use a shop vac to suck up the dirty water. I rinse using clean water and then suck that up too.

A designer friend had used upside down saltillo tile cut like brick in her home and we copied the look. Its cheaper, easier to care for than brick and turned out gorgeous. We used it in our kitchen and in our family room we used it with wood layed in a large diamond pattern (with bricks inbetween) to incorporate the wood flooring in the living room/dining room/entry.

We have brick floors in our home in Louisiana. It's a great non-tile option for hurricane/flooding prone areas. I find it easy to clean (and it hides any dirt because you can never really even tell its dirty).

I disagree that brick is difficult to clean. If it is sealed, it cleans just like any tile floor. But, unlike tile.....it never looks dirty! I love my brick floor in my kitchen. Wouldn't have anything else!

Brick on sand laid tightly with silica sand swept into the cracks eliminates large mortar joints.
After laying brick and applying silica sand, rent a terrazzo or concrete grinder and grind down the tops of the brick for an even surface that looks older and a bit worn. This creates a smooth, even surface. Multiple coats of boiled linseed oil mixed in equal parts with mineral spirits and oil based polyurethane buffed into the floor with a coarse pad will seal nicely. Wait for oil to dry between coats. You will find that after two or three coats like this you can take a finer pad and buff a sheen onto the floor with very little oil mixture.
You can walk on the floor at any time during this process as the oil dries slowly and will not be affected in the way that a surface finish would, by walking on it.
I had this finish on a house we lived in for 15 years and the floor looked as good after all that time as it did the day it was finished. You can buff in a refresher coat every few years if you want to. I would avoid any sort of wax as a top finish.

Bricks can be cold under foot. If they are thin brickettes they would be compatible with underfloor heating, but bricks may take more time/energy to heat through. They are also very unforgiving if you drop anything! But very practical, will last and in the right setting can look great. See my own house pics attached.

We've loved our brick floors and I have had them in 2 different houses over a period of 20 yrs. Every couple of years we will clean it good (using water, soft brush and wet vac), let it dry good, then roll on some kind of polyurethane like sealer which gives it a glossy surface. This slick surface helps you mop using a sponge mop. I would definitely use mortar as grout rather than just butting them up tight, because water can get down through cracks. We used bricks butted tight together for a floor, then brushed sand over it to fill in the cracks and sealed it. I still liked it but not as much as the mortared brick.

HI, our family has been in the masonry business for half a century. The first thing I can tell you is to NOT seal your brick flooring! Also there is a cleaner that is specific to brick, it is muriatic acid OR you can use TSP, which is a phosphorous, and you pour it on and it foams up the dirt for you to clean off. Muriatic acid is DANGEROUS and I found a great write up about it here - http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infxtra/infmur.html Brick floors are indeed hard to keep clean, especially in the mortar areas. But if you don't mind cleaning, you will have a beautiful floor that will truly last a lifetime. Here is my kitchen floor.

We put antique bricks down in our kitchen/laundry and LOVE it. There's a sealant that leaves the bricks with a more natural look without the shine, which is what we prefer. So much character. Doesn't show dirt, so great for a busy house.

I have a good-size sunroom tiled with really cheapo 12" ultra shiny white ceramic tile. Problem is, they used this same tile in the foyer, and it turned out it was on a mortar bed. We had it all taken up....extremely messy, loud, dusty, and destructive, not to mention expensive and time consuming. This is a question for anyone with experience in this area.......but expecially the brick company.....can you put the pavers over the existing ceramic floor with ECB and special primers and adhesives? There used to be a giant hottub in that room, and in the basement, you can see that they reinforced the floor with a steel beam for the added weight.

I am just trying to figure out whether or not this will be an option. If I can figure out how to attach an image of my sunroom in a future comment, I will. This would be a "before" picture.....ugly skimpy glossy oak trim, cedar wood ceiling, full of junk, unpainted walls. We are beefing up the trim with heavier, more traditional and ornate painted trim and probably painting the ceiling.

We have brick on the floor of the kitchen of our 1970's house and I hate it! Can't wait to rip it out! I guess it is to do with how it is laid - in a different form it might be ok. But the space between the bricks is quite wide and deep. So any dirt/food that ends up there is impossible to sweep up, you need to get the vacuum out. My husband and I are constantly getting the front of our shoes caught on the corner and tripping. It is true that you can't see the dirt - until you walk on the bricks! Plus the edge if the bricks can be quite sharp, so I find it uncomfortable to walk on in bare feet. I guess you need to choose your bricks and how they are laid carefully.

@ Margaret, A brick floor is like everything else, you either love it, or hate it. If you love it like I do, it will be the best thing in the world for you. If you hate it, RIP IT OUT. There is a surface made for everyone to feel comfortable with. Thank goodness for choices.

The floors in the first two photos appear to be heavily grouted. That would seem to alleviate the problem Margaret is having with the large spaces catching debris and tripping people. I wonder if she could have her bricks regrouted and filled up to the level of the bricks (assuming she would want to save it).

We love our brick look floor. The bricks are actually made from concrete and are pavers. They look exactly like brick. We got them from BrickAFloor out of Oklahoma City. They are beautiful and there are many colors to choose from. We used Country Style and it is lovely. Google it and check it out. You won't be disappointed.

I got a quote of over $3400 to clean and reseal a brick floor in my living room, hall and kitchen. Never had a brick floor before. Can I do it myself? Or is it worth it to have someone do it? The floor is very clean and in good condition.

Look at all the colors available with Alpha Concrete Brick-A-Floor online. They are lightweight pavers and look exactly like brick and are wonderful. We have put them in 2 homes. I have used the Country Mix style and love it but there are many to choose from. They are easy to lay and light weight. The company is out of Oklahoma City. I am an artist and love antiques and I am still happy with everything about the floor..and I am often hard to please! ;)

We have just. Bought a home (crawl space wenper) with brick paver floors in the kitchen, den and foyer. There is not muchvmuchvariation in color within each indivudual brick so I am not worried about a sealant darkening the brick and think a little sheen may look good. Any advice on sealants and is this a diy or should we find someone to do it. Also I am interested in a earlier question about back splash and just general decorating ideas with the brick floor

I love, love, love the brick floors in my kitchen. My kitchen is huge, with wide open space for a table and a seating area, and I feel the brick helps tie the multi-use space together. It was one of the things I instantly loved about the house when we first looked. I changed the counter tops to a gorgeous red/brown granite called red dragon. The floors were disgusting when we closed, I scraped up about 30 pieces of gum, the I put two coats of a wet look sealer down. I had to use a combination of a roller and then back brushed with a brush. The first coat took awhile, but the second coat was easy.

Great article! My company hand-makes thin brick tiles here in Pennsylvania. I am happy to talk about installation and cleaning (717-806-3900). Cleaning will depend upon the texture of the brick, the way they are grouted (struck or sponged), and the type of sealer that is used. They are not hard to care for -- we have many customers who have come back, for new homes, or other rooms in their existing homes. (And we are so proud to have been given a Best Of Houzz 2014 award for customer satisfaction!)
As for the heaviness and thickness of bricks: I live in an 18th century woolen mill, and wanted a brick floor, but full bricks were not possible. I didn't like what I saw on the market, so I made my own thin bricks. In 2004, I started my brick tile company for people like me, who love the look of a brick floor, but who can't use a full-sized old brick. We have a variety of styles to choose from, and the color mixes are custom. Recently, we have had several jobs with a lot of off-white or white clay powders fired into our red brick clay. Beautiful. I am waiting for more pictures of those. inglenooktile.com

I want brick floors in my kitchen and can't think of anything but them! I have asked a few flooring companies here in the Central Illinois town in which I live....they all look at me like I had three heads!

HELP: This is our brick floor. We have radiant heat running under it. In the high traffic areas, they have sunk and settled really bad. Does anyone have any tips or help on how to pop them out so we can level with sand and refill? They've just been sealed with a polyurethane, and the sand polyurethane mixture hardens into a grout. It has started to come up in many places, but the bricks are hard to get out, especially if they are in the middle of the floor.

We used reclaimed antique bricks in a recent project that turned out really well. Since they were actual old street pavers, they hold up very well! We only used the face of the brick in the floors and we used the interior core of the brick for the exterior pathways.

I have brick as transitions between areas of an open floor plan and as well in the main entry in a herringbone pattern. We have brick outdoors and wanted to bring that element inside for design and character. We are truly enjoying the look mixed with wood flooring and have had it sealed for ease of cleaning and protection. One bonus is that it really hides dirt and pet hair!

I have what was referred to as Old Chicago Brick pavers in my fairly large den. I do love them overall. I was excited to find some stamped and dated bricks in the load I purchased...adds such character!! I was fortunate to have an expert brick layer install them and going on 12 years, no structural problems. They were laid over concrete slab. Although they were sealed with a recommended product at least three times, the sealer obviously wasn't applied correctly or it was not an appropriate product, because it never "took". As a result, with many pets and daily life, cleaning the bricks, but especially the grout has become a true nightmare. I am unable to get on my hands and knees and scrub...and my adored Hoover floor mate that cleans my other tiled floors to perfection...doesn't even touch (literally) the grout. Would love to hear more cleaning suggestions! Also more sealing options...(DYI) I would definitely encourage anyone thinking about this unique flooring option to go forward....but do know, it CAN become a real issue down the road with cleaning. Also, make certain you have an excellent installer.